The Habsburgs scrambled to protect their hinterland, as an emboldened Ottoman Empire pushed up from the Balkans. With half the Habsburgs distracted, England and the Netherlands moved against Belgium, and in a series of battles stripped away the jewel from Spain. Viewed with distrust, France made no move, as it eliminated some of the threat from the Bourbon's borders. Charles I happily returned these newly conquered lands to his son-in-law, William II